Module 4 : Specific Immune System Flashcards
The specific immune system is … to act than the non-specific immune system
What two main types of response to pathogens does the specific immune system feature?
slower
cellular or cell mediated responses
humoral or antibody mediated responses
What type of molecule do all cells have on their surface?
What can body cells do regarding antigens?
antigens
they can recognise the difference between self antigens on our body cells and non-self pathogens on the cells of pathogens
Antibodies are Y shaped glycoproteins called …
What do antibodies bind to ?
immunoglobulins
they bind to the antigen on a pathogen
Describe the structure of an antibody …
make 3 points
-contain two identical long polypeptide chains and two much shorter identical chains
-the chains are held together by disulfide bridges
What are the names given to the long and short polypeptide chains that make up an antibody?
long-heavy chains
short-light chains
Where is the binding site of an antibody located , what is this composed of and what is this area called?
its an area on both the heavy and the light chains , its made up of 110 amino acids that differ between different antibodies
known as the variable region
What mechanism of binding is demonstrated by the biding of an antibody and an antigen?
the lock and key mechanism
What is formed when an antibody binds to an antigen?
an antigen-antibody complex
Make 4 describing points on how antibodies defend the body?
1)the antibody acts as an opsonin so the antibody-antigen complex is easily engulfed and digested by phagocytes
2)most pathogens can no longer invade host cells once they are part of an antigen-antibody complex
3)antibodies act as agglutinins that causes pathogens carrying complexes to clump together which makes it easier for phagocytes to engulf many pathogens at once
4)antibodies can act as anti-toxins by binding to toxins on pathogens and making them harmless (neutralisation)
What are lymphocytes and which 2 places are they found ?
Name the 4 types of T lymphocytes and the 3 types of B lymphocytes
a type of white blood cell found in the blood and in the lymph nodes
T lymphocytes:
-T helper cells
-T killer cells
-T memory cells
-T regulator cells
B lymphocytes:
-plasma cells
-B effector cells
-B memory cells
Cell mediated immunity is when …
Give 3 points that describe the process of cell mediated immune responses
T lymphocytes respond to cells that have been infected by a pathogen , mainly viruses
1)Macrophages engulf and digest pathogens by phagocytosis and then present the antigen on their surface
2)Specific T helper cells that fit this antigen will bind to it and produce interleukins which stimulate production of more T helper cells(clones)
3)These cloned T helper cells can then develop into T memory cells , produce interleukins that stimulate phagocytosis / B cells to divide or stimulate development of clones of specific T killer cells
Humoral immunity is …
The antibodies produced by the humoral immune system are …
Which type of lymphocytes are more important in humoral immunity
the bodies response to pathogens outside the cell , for example bacteria or fungi
soluble in blood, tissue fluid and lymph fluid and are not attached to cells
B cells
In humoral immunity , what do B cells do when a pathogen enters the body
3 points
A B cell with a complementary antibody to the antigen on the pathogen will bind to this antigen and engulf the pathogen and processes the antigen to become an APC
In humoral immunity , after a B cell has turned an antigen carrying pathogen into an APC , describe the next 5 steps that occur.
1)T helper cells bind to the antigens on the APC (clonal selection)
2)Interleukins produced by the T helper cells activate other B cells
3)Activated B cells divide by mitosis to give clones of plasma cells and B memory cells(clonal expansion)
4)Cloned plasma cells produce antibodies that fit to the antigens on the pathogens , they then bind to the antigen and disable it or act as an opsonin or agglutinin (primary immune response)
5)Some cloned plasma cells develop into B memory cells which divide rapidly to produce clones that have the specific antibody for the pathogen(secondary immune response)
